In a month known for caring and giving, local Rotarians are pitching in to help spread holiday cheer and hope to their communities in December.
Three clubs will participate in events providing holiday gifts to local families, including two that partner with local law enforcement organizations. The Rotary Club of Milwaukie teams with the Clackamas County Peace Officers Benevolent Foundation for its annual Shop With A Cop event on Saturday, Dec. 6. The Rotary Club of Three Creeks, Vancouver, will participate in a similar Shop With A Cop event with the Clark County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday, Dec. 19.
East Portland Rotary will provide cheer for as many as 400 foster children with its annual Foster Kids Holiday Party on Saturday, Dec. 6. The event will provide food, gifts, activities, and a visit from Santa Claus.
Lake Oswego Rotarians will put together holiday gift baskets for needy families in their area on Saturday, Dec. 6. The Rotary Club of Dallas will conduct a food drive on Saturday, Dec. 13, to benefit the holiday food box program conducted by Dallas Christmas Cheer. Beaverton Rotary will assist with that city’s Holiday Tree Lighting on Friday, Dec. 5.
Milwaukie Rotarians continue the district’s fundraising efforts for Rotary International’s PolioPlus fund with a “Pints For Polio” day on Wednesday, Dec. 10. Seven Milwaukie-area breweries, restaurants and coffee houses are participating in the effort, donating $1 to PolioPlus for each pint sold.
Information on these events and projects are provided by the sponsoring Rotary clubs. For more information, please contact the individual listed with each event. For general district media inquiries, contact Blake Timm at 503-320-3915 or [email protected].
Friday, Dec. 5 | 4 p.m. | Beaverton Rotary
Beaverton Holiday Tree Lighting
The Beaverton Rotary Club will be in full service at the City of Beaverton’s Tree Lighting Celebration. Rotarians will be in the middle of magic – literally and figuratively – assisting city staff with set-up and take-down for this annual holiday tradition. Rotarians will also staff a booth showcasing the club’s community service projects and inviting the community to learn about Rotary’s impact locally and globally. The event runs from 4 to 8 p.m., with the tree lighting taking place at 7 p.m. Visit the city’s website for more details.
Location: Beaverton City Park, 12500 SW 4th St., Beaverton, OR 97005
Club Contact: Tom Freitag, 503-720-9744, [email protected]
Thurs., Dec. 4 | 5 p.m. | Rotary Club of Three Creeks, Vancouver
Collection For Vita’s Ark
At their regular club meeting on Thursday, Dec. 4, “Three Creekers” will be collecting donated items for Vida’s Ark, a nonprofit in Clark County that benefits mothers and children in need. Members of the public are welcome to attend and donate.
Location: Columbia Ridge Winery, 3006 NW 199th St., Ridgefield, WA 98642
Club Contact: Nelson Holmberg, 360-521-1590, [email protected]
Sat., Dec. 6 | 7:30 a.m. | Rotary Club of Milwaukie
Shop With A Cop
Members of the Rotary Club of Milwaukie will partner with Clackamas County Peace Officers’ Benevolent Foundation on its Shop With A Cop event. Rotarians will wrap gifts and shuttle carts for participants. Community volunteers are welcome, but advance registration is required. Visit the Shop With A Cop website for details.
Club Contact: Whitney Eikmeier, 503-915-9635, [email protected]
Sat., Dec. 6 | 10 a.m. | Lake Oswego Rotary
Holiday Gift Basket Event
Join members of Lake Oswego Rotary in assembling holiday gift baskets for those in the community. Bring unwrapped toys and food and join in a morning of singing, delicious treats and providing hope for those in need this holiday season.
Location: Lake Oswego Fire Department, 300 B Ave., Lake Oswego, OR 97034
Club Contact: Sue Linnerooth, 206-686-1435, [email protected]
Sat., Dec. 6 | 10 a.m. | East Portland Rotary
Foster Kids Holiday Party
Members of East Portland Rotary continue their annual tradition of making the holidays brighter for foster children. As many as 400 foster kids, along with their resource families and biological siblings, enjoy a day of food, holiday gifts, sugar cookie decorating, a candy room, face painting, learning games provided by OMSI, a balloon artist, and more. This project is funded in part by a Rotary District 5100 Matching Grant.
Club Contact: David Palm, 805-886-3395, [email protected]
Wed., Dec. 10 | 5 p.m. | Rotary Club of Milwaukie
Pints For Polio
As part of Rotary’s ongoing effort to eradicate polio, participating bars, restaurants and coffee shops in Milwaukie will donate $1 to the Rotary Foundation’s PolioPlus Fund for every pint sold on Wednesday, Dec. 10. Participating establishments include pFriem Brewing, The Beer House, Freeman Barrel House, Chan’s, Milwaukie Bowl, B-Sides Records, and Whitehorse Coffee. For more information, visit the event website.
Location: Various Establishments (see above)
Club Contact: Whitney Eikmeier, 503-915-9635, [email protected]
Sat., Dec. 13 | 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Rotary Club of Dallas
Food Collection For Dallas Christmas Cheer
Rotarians in Dallas, Oregon, will be stationed outside Safeway, Grocery Outlet, Walmart and Les Schwab Tire Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., on Saturday, Dec. 13, collecting non-perishable food items to help provide food boxes to 500 local families. Donated food will be given to Dallas Christmas Cheer for delivery to families on Christmas Eve. Dallas Christmas Cheer has provided holiday meal boxes to needy families in the Dallas community for over 50 years.
Location: Dallas Locations Of Safeway, Grocery Outlet, Walmart and Les Schwab Tire Center
Club Contact: Eileen DiCicco, 775-560-3349, [email protected]
Fri., Dec. 19 | 6-8:30 a.m. | Rotary Club of Three Creeks, Vancouver
Shop With A Cop
Members of the Rotary Club of Three Creeks will partner with the Clark County Sheriff’s Office to participate in Shop with a Cop. Rotarians will assist participants and sheriff’s deputies with shopping. The event fulfills one of the Rotary Club of Three Creeks’ areas of focus of helping at-risk youth.
Club Contact: Nelson Holmberg, 360-521-1590, [email protected]
ABOUT ROTARY DISTRICT 5100
With 62 clubs and more than 2,100 members across northern Oregon and southwest Washington, Rotary District 5100 is a forward-thinking, Service Above Self organization. District 5100 clubs are where Rotarians in communities across the region turn everyday actions into meaningful change – both locally and globally – while forging strong connections and friendships. Learn more at www.rotarydistrict5100.org.